Tweet KICKSTARTER: Little Orphant Annie (1918) COLLEEN MOORE

How can I buy this on Amazon? I'm happy to support anyone who brings silent movies to us in HD quality. DVD image quality is simply not good enough on bigger HDTVs.

How can I buy this on Amazon? I'm happy to support anyone who brings silent movies to us in HD quality. DVD image quality is simply not good enough on bigger HDTVs.

You need to buy it from Eric.

Bob

It's now available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076ZFSNMM

The film was restored, or almost :



"The film is framed at 1.37:1 and is presented in 1080p using the AVC codec. Culled from five different sources which included materials on video, 16mm, and 35mm (the sequence used from 35mm is readily identifiable with its crisper, more detailed appearance), the transfer is as good as we’re likely ever going to get with this title. There is the damage, scratches, judder, and variable densities that one would expect from a film that is a century old, and sharpness and softness ping-pong back and forth as they must due to whichever element is being used for a particular shot, but it’s all acceptable knowing how close the movie came to not being saved at all. The movie has been divided into 7 chapters."

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/little-orphant-annie-1918-blu-ray-review/

If the restoration used video as one of the sources, it's a indication that someone took a film element, made a transfer, but didn't care (or have no money) to make a film preservation copy.

[silentfilm]

Eric Grayson discusses the restoration at length on the commentary track. I believe that some of the scenes added back into the film only existed on video. He also had a print from the Library of Congress that was in the final stages of nitrate decomposition, but he was able to transfer some sections from it. Several of the prints of the film had scenes that were not in any of the other prints.

21 century and Library Of Congress still allows unic 35mm nitrate decompose like that ?

I imagined they had better care with unic prints at least...

[Mike Gebert]

Write them a check, and they will.

Well, a simple copy to 35mm fine grain it's not so expansive as a restoration project itself. Unic films, important form such star, unic, usualy get funds. I suspect they didn't notice it had deteriorated.

Anyway I wish someoine had created a frame by frame print scanner, like a film gate adapted to a good dynamic range digital camera, low price, to be used by many students to copy films that are in difficult situation.

Write them a check, and they will.

[Mike Gebert]

Rather than speculate, you can hear how it was actually done here.

The reality is distressing: so much to be done, so little time and money and manpower to do it. However, I believe that people are motivated more strongly by a smile and a thank you than by a snarl and a lecture -- G*d knows we get the latter combination every place else, so often, that we don't even hear them any more, only the windmills in our minds.

I was eating at one of my favorite restaurants, the Grand Central Oyster Bar, and had a particularly good meal. Believing, as I do, that it's a good thing to tell the manager when something is particularly good, as well as when something is bad, I found the manager and said "I'm used to a high level of service and cusine here, but with this dish, you've surpassed yourself." "I'm sorry," he said. "It'll never happen again."

Isn't it a sad world to live in, where the constant litany of complaints means you can't even hear the all too rare compliment? Try to compliment people a little more often when they deserve it, and to support them, however you can, if not with money, with a smile. You'd be surprised at what a difference it can make.

Bob

It wasn't my intantion to put down the effort of restorers !!!

But the restorers had to work with materials, and if the materials are not well care (money it's a huge problem) the work get difficulties.

With so much digital technology I really believe something more can be done on emergencial situations bases. Took 100 students, give them film gates adapted to HD of high dynamic range, and give then student credits for each film reel they transfer.
Just a idea I had... It don't mean I'm stoning anybody or that I don't give value to they efforts.

I really understand that there are many film restorers that are trulkly heroes. Let me express this clear, please.
Many thanks for these guys to save cultural heritage.